Got a 6-month-old puppy? Answers on walks, food, spaying, and shyness

She has a lot of fur but her weight looks good. She will continue to grow at a slower rate until she’s about one year old. I gradually switch to adult food now that she’s been spayed. I like for dogs to have a nice tuck at the waist and to be able to feel their ribs but not see them. After spaying some dogs are less active and gain weight so now is the time to keep a watch so she doesn’t get fat. As far as the training it will take many months of training to get her to be reliable at the heel and learn commands. A six month old dog is very energetic and has a short attention span. Keep with the training and you’ll have a wonderful, well trained dog when she’s an adult. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sienna.

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. We don't mind follow-up questions, in fact they are encouraged! In my experience it isn't normal for a puppy to be really shy, because this is not a behavior we would want or expect; however, we do see this in pets with anxiety issues. I would bet that Sie has some degree of anxiety. Your trainer may be able to work through these issues with you; however, in most situations you need a certified behaviorist or experienced trainer iwho can work with Sie one-on-one. It can be done, so stay the course and consistency is key to helping Sie through her fears. Here is a website link for finding certified animal behaviorists in your area, if needed. http://www.avsabonline.org/resources/find-consult I have seen many puppies who were successfullly converted into outgoing social dogs, as they gani their confidence over time. So there is hope. Best of luck with Sie and I hope that things continue to improve. Take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 1) Come, stay, sit, give paw, leave it, look and walk nicely (heel) on a leash should be learned. At 6 months they may not be perfect but at that age they can know how to do them. 2) This depends on what you want out of her. Are you doing agility or obedience trials or hunting? If not, then I would say 2-5 mins is reasonable. At 6 months old I am not surprised she gets up. I would gradually increase the stay increments and realize she is still young and easily distracted. I would give her a break every 5-10 mins. If she gets up then bring her back to position and then slowly distance yourself. Start over in a sense, giving treats every 30 sec to a minute until you get to your desired distance. 3) I would only train for 30-40 mins with at least 2-3 breaks. How many times a day is your personal preference and how much time you have a day to dedicate to dog training. 2-3 times per day sounds reasonable. Personally I could only dedicate one time per day during the week. 4) I don't have advice here as I am not a dog trainer and I am not sure what you mean. I would recommend you ask a professional dog trainer! I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think that is a great idea! Bring a stool sample with you. The Vet can go over her vaccine schedule, get her started on flea/tick and heartworm prevention and discuss having her spayed. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

Congrats on your new addition! Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian within 3 days of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. At the very least, she will likely need to be dewormed. Vaccines can start around 6 weeks of age and will continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Discuss monthly parasite prevention with your vet to protect against worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm. Feed a good quality puppy food. Look for brands such as Canidae, Acana or Merrick. You can feed according tot the directions on the bag, just know that each puppy is different and you may need to adjust the amount if Coqueta is gaining too much weight or not enough weight. Avoid store or discount brands as these may contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Puppies typically need to go about about 20-30 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. Expect accidents, they are going to happen. Since dogs thrive on routine, start a consistent schedule for potty breaks; first thing in the morning, midday, evening and before bedtime to begin with. Choose one spot in the yard and use it for bathroom training. She can have a short walk or playtime after she does her business. Praise and reward her each time. Avoid areas with other dogs and dogs of unknown vaccine status until she has at least 2 rounds of vaccines. Visit the PetCoach Educational Center for additional information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ https://www.petcoach.co/educational-center/

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! How long you want her to heel on a walk is up to you. If you want her to not pull and be by your side then she should be able to do it the entire walk. At 7 months old Sienna is still growing bone wise. She doesn't look overweight in your pictures. Dogs do tend to get overweight after their spay, so you do have to be careful. I would continue the current amount of food. I provided a link on how to determine ideal body condition. If she gets too overweight, cut back. She is approaching the high end of the weight range for a female. I am guessing she will hit 50 lbs. If she is a larger framed husky she could go over that. I hope this helps! https://oregonvma.org/files/Purina-Dog-Condition-Chart.pdf

Yes, I think it is ok for her to walk around your property. If she is not completely vaccinated, then I would keep her away from unknown dogs or unvaccinated puppies, dog parks, and pet stores. She should be okay around other dogs that you know the owners have stayed current on vaccines. I am not a fan of peepads unless you plan on using them for life because they just train a dog that going potty inside is okay!